P3 Volunteers Making a Difference Across Derbyshire

This week at P3 Charity, we’re celebrating National Volunteers Week, an annual UK-wide campaign held from the first Monday in June to celebrate and recognise the contributions of volunteers.

Launched in 1984, this long-running initiative celebrates and thanks volunteers across the UK for their contributions. Now in its 40th year, it has been refreshed with a vibrant new identity to boost engagement. The campaign highlights the diversity of volunteering and brings organisations and communities together to celebrate the positive impact volunteers have each year.

We’re proud to recognise the vital role our volunteers play in supporting people across our services. From offering practical help to providing a listening ear, our volunteers bring time, compassion and skills that make a real difference every day. Their commitment strengthens our communities and helps us reach more people in need, and we’re incredibly grateful for everything they do.

Spotlight: P3’s ‘Chill and Chat’ Group in Derbyshire

P3’s Chill and Chat Group was set up by Jack Douglas Howell ten years ago, and since then has flourished into one of P3’s most popular community groups. Held every Friday, the group get together to chill, chat and get to know other people in their local community – reducing loneliness, isolation and improving wellbeing.

Joined by Jack and his colleague, Tammy Sloan, who is also a volunteer for the group; the pair talk to us about what volunteering means to them and what the group has done to make an impact in their lives as well as to the people they support.

Jack says, “We run the group every Friday, 11[am] until 1[pm at P3’s Ripley Hub]. It’s a mental health, talking, self-referral coffee group and games afternoon.”

Doing a bit of everything, the group caters to people with a wide range of needs. From mental health challenges, to learning disabilities and loneliness, the group is welcoming to people of all ages in need of social connection.

Jack explains, “We started running the group for P3 when [my now manager met me] in a pensioner’s bingo hall in Alfreton, when the two main runners decided they wanted to retire.

“[Our manager] asked me if I’d stay on and move into the Ripley Hub, and we’ve been there 10 years ever since. We still have [people we work with] who have been with us since then.”

Tammy explains how for most of the volunteers in the group, they feel a personal connection to its purpose. She says, “I was a client for six years and I’ve been a volunteer for two.”

Jack adds, “All four of us volunteers have had difficulties with mental health, health conditions or disabilities, so we stayed on and built a team and a community of people from all walks of life.”

Tammy opens up about her own mental health: “With me having schizophrenia and depression, coming to the Friday group every week is a big help. It helps me break up the normal routines of life and breaks up the days, I know it’s only once a week but that once a week, is a break.”

For Jack and Tammy, the group has become more than just a regular activity in the week. It has created a space where people can come together, share experiences, and feel understood by others who may be facing their own challenges. Small moments of connection and conversation have helped build friendships and create a sense of belonging, while offering a chance to step away from day-to-day pressures.

The pair reflected on the difference the group has made, explaining that being around others and taking part each week has helped them feel more connected and positive.

Describing their experience in five words, the pair said: “Confidence, bright, vibrant, understanding, connection.”

Jack explains, “Our group is so much more than volunteers and group members, everybody in our group [are] companions.

“We do so much more than sit in our room as a group, we go out for Christmas meals every year and joining with the group from the allotment. We raise funds together at our group by selling our teas, coffees, food and drinks, raffle and things like that. That helps us raise money that goes directly back in to giving the members experiences: Bowling, Cadbury World, Bluebell Farm, day trip to York, the summer fayres…”

Tammy adds, “We may be volunteers but we’re just as much part of the group as the [members] themselves.

“Even outside of the group, me and Jack [are friends] and go on daytrips together; we’ve been to London, Stratford, Whitby.”

It’s clear that Jack and Tammy benefit from volunteering as much as the community they serve. Through shared experiences, friendships and the opportunity to support others, the group has become a place that offers connection and purpose for everyone involved. Their experiences show how creating welcoming spaces can help people build confidence, form meaningful relationships and feel part of something bigger.

Volunteering at P3

Volunteering at P3 looks different for everyone. Some people support our frontline services, helping create welcoming and safe spaces. Others share specialist skills, support events, or work behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly. What connects them all is a shared belief in treating people with dignity, respect and kindness.

Volunteering also has a powerful impact on those who give their time. Many of our volunteers tell us they gain confidence, develop new skills, and feel a strong sense of purpose. Some go on to further training or employment, while others simply value being part of a supportive community.

Jack says, “I’ve had lots of training as a volunteer and experiences – such as spending time at the allotment and the outreach team – courses on personal safety, boundaries, GDPR, COSHH, food hygiene and fire safety. I’ve done every course imaginable!”

Jack adds, “My journey for training and starting out as someone who is autistic, struggling with mental health and out-of-work, [my manager] sent me on every course she could because I wanted to feel like I could be at my most useful.

“Over the years I’ve certainly enjoyed the training and always hope for more whenever possible. I’ve used my experience of training to get back into adult education courses, redid my English and Maths, my IT courses and I’ve even done childcare and I’m now a qualified Level 3 teaching assistant.

“I started out from no qualifications from school, finding P3 at 22 and training up for 10 years to finally get into the career and job I’ve always wanted.”

Tammy prefers a less hands-on approach, saying “I’ve done the basic training, but I just prefer to sit with people and chill and chat!

“If you want to bring something back to the community and help others, you should do volunteering.”

Jack encourages other local people to get involved: “If you’re not sure whether you want to be a volunteer, come to our group in Ripley and meet the people you’ll be working with and alongside. They’re all such special people, and they mean so much to all of us. Every individual person is a special person that makes our group what it is. We all bring something to the group, everybody there is valued.”

Just like the people we support, volunteering pathways are customised to the needs of the local community and to the volunteer themselves.

We know that our work wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of our volunteers. Their dedication strengthens our services and helps us respond to the needs of the communities we serve.

To every P3 volunteer – past and present – thank you. Your time and energy have helped change lives.

To get involved, you can explore our current volunteering roles using the button below.